This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Pristina, Kosovo • Albanians in Kosovo blocked roads Wednesday to prevent the local Serb minority and people coming from Serbia from holding an electoral rally.
Police said that the road was blocked in five or six locations but cleared after a couple of hours.
Media said Albanians raised roadblocks to stop some 60 buses from Serbia and more from the local population from reaching a rally in Leposavic.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, invoking the right to freedom of assembly, strongly denounced the roadblocks as "unacceptable."
"Freedom of movement, freedom of rallying, freedom of political thinking and freedom of expression are guaranteed from Kosovo's constitution and its laws," Thaci wrote on his Facebook page. "That's valid for each Kosovo citizen and no one will be allowed to violate such rights."
Serbia holds presidential elections on Sunday. Serbs in Kosovo have the right to vote.
Serbian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday abandoned plans to travel to Kosovo to campaign, saying he was not prepared to abide by the conditions set by the Kosovo government, pointing to "blackmail, pressure and circus from Pristina."
Kosovo media reported that the government had specified that Vucic's visit could only last three hours and that he must not be accompanied by his interior or defense minister.
Tensions between the two countries have risen in the past four months following a series of incidents.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not recognized it.
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Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania contributed.